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Water Supply

Kavundampalayam, Vadavalli to overcome drinking water scarcity

Friday, 18 June 2010 04:55 administrator
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The Hindu     18.06.2010

Kavundampalayam, Vadavalli to overcome drinking water scarcity

Special Correspondent

Bhavani scheme provides the much needed relief

Plans are on for a phase two scheme for Thondamuthur, Vedapatti, Veerakeralam, Perur and Dhaliyur

- Photo: M. Periasamy

AUGMENTING SUPPLY:Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin (second left) turns on the tap to inaugurate the Bhavani Combined Water Supply Scheme at Vadavalli Town Panchayat near Coimbatore city on Tuesday.

COIMBATORE: The Rs.30-crore Bhavani Combined Water Supply Scheme will meet a persistent demand from the residents of Kavundampalayam Municipality and Vadavalli Town Panchayat for regular supply of drinking water, the local bodies said on Thursday. After Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the supply on Tuesday, the local bodies on the city's western border are hopeful of getting out of a more than a decade-old drinking water scarcity for at least another 10 years.

The scheme itself was announced in 1999, along with the Aliyar Scheme for Kurichi and Kuniamuthur municipalities and the Pilloor Phase II scheme for Coimbatore city.

Testing of lines to identify teething problems was on in both these areas and there were hopes of the supply situation improving vastly, official sources in the municipality and town panchayat said. Hereafter, the supply situation would not be totally dependent on the availability of water in the Siruvani Dam, they pointed out.

“From a pathetic situation wherein water is supplied once in 18 days, we hope to improve it to thrice a week,” Chairman of the municipality K.M. Sundaram said. Kavundampalayam was now provided with 4.56 million litres a day (mld) for supply to 14,998 water connections. The new scheme would provide another 5.74 mld.

“There are some minor problems that we have identified during a test supply. We may have to remove blocks in some lines and then proper linking of these also will have to be done. It may take a month for the entire system to settle and function smoothly,” he said. Vadavalli Town Panchayat sounded hopeful of alternate day supply. So far, it could provide Siruvani water only once in 12 or 14 days during summer and once in five or six days even when water overflowed from Siruvani Dam.

Sources in the town panchayat explained that the local body had to provide a meagre amount of 7.5 lakh litres of Siruvani water to 7,700 water connections at 31 litres per capita a day. The Bhavani scheme would help in providing 70 litres per capita a day with a total supply of 5.60 mld to the town panchayat.

Full-fledged supply in Vadavalli under the new scheme might be done in 10 to 15 days after the testing.

The quota allocated under the Bhavani Scheme would meet Vadavalli's requirement till 2020. Plans were on for a phase two scheme thereafter for Vadavalli, Thondamuthur, Vedapatti, Veerakeralam, Perur and Dhaliyur.

Last Updated on Friday, 18 June 2010 04:56
 

Sinking water table and stinking drainages

Wednesday, 16 June 2010 04:14 administrator
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The Hindu      16.06.2010

Sinking water table and stinking drainages

S. Annamalai

—Photo: S. James

BONE-DRY:A view of the

MADURAI: Rows of colourful plastic pots, waiting to be filled up with water from hand pumps. Worn out water tankers racing ahead of schoolgoing children. These scenes are very common in residential areas along the banks of the now bone-dry Vaigai. The frequent power shutdowns notwithstanding, people residing so near, yet so far from the city are not able to pump groundwater to their overhead tanks. The water is too meagre and too hard.

The groundwater table has shown a progressive decline over the years in Madurai due to various factors. The major factor is the demise of its water bodies, from where concrete structures have sprouted. The disappearance of water carriers and encroachment of the surviving water bodies have ensured that there is inadequate percolation of rainwater.

According to a City Development Plan prepared by the National Institute of Urban Affairs, the city's population is expected to touch 12.82 lakh in 2011. The city can take pride in having one of the oldest underground drainage systems in the State that came into existence between 1925 and 1948. But much water has flowed down the Vaigai since then and the flow has now stopped. At present, an estimated 50 to 60 million litres of waste water is generated in the city daily. A major portion of this water is either let into the ground or the Vaigai or subjected to improper treatment at inadequate facilities. There are even reports of sewage water getting mixed up with drinking water in areas like Karpaga Nagar in K. Pudur. Till the ongoing underground drainage work is completed and the water treatment plants start functioning, the quality of groundwater is going to be abysmally low.

The groundwater available at several places in the city and suburbs does not conform to Indian Standard Specifications for Drinking Water (IS: 10500), according to a study made by Madurai-based Enviro Care India. In many places, the hardness and total dissolved solids (TDS) are more than two times the desirable levels. The worst affected places are residential areas not properly served by underground drainage. The hardness of water around the many urinals dotting Madurai is very high.

Absence of flow in the Vaigai, discharge of waste water into the ground and failure to recharge and replenish groundwater are the main reasons for the current state of affairs, according to S. Rajmohan, Managing Director, Enviro Care India, who conducted the study in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry in March 2010.

The steps required to improve the quality of ground water, which remains unfit for human consumption now, are a proper sewage treatment system and improvement of rainwater harvesting system. The Koodal Alagar Perumal Temple tank on Town Hall Road is an example of neglect. After putting a rain water harvesting system in place, the tank is always filled with garbage and rainwater. Dr. Rajmohan insists that properly treated waste water can be re-used productively.

It is estimated that 14,000 litres of water can irrigate one acre of land. The recycled water can be used to develop a green belt around the city, water plants in gardens and even to raise crops, he points out.

According to the study, the highest level of TDS (against the desirable level of 500 milligrams per litre) is in Industrial Estate, Kappalur (4,400), followed by K. K. Nagar (2,970), Avaniapuram (2,580), Villapuram Housing Board (2,430), Tirupparankundram (2,060) and New Vilangudi (2,010). Beyond 500 milligrams, water can cause gastro-intestinal irritation.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 04:41
 

Water sachets to be banned in Kovai

Tuesday, 15 June 2010 11:50 administrator
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The New Indian Express      15.06.2010

Water sachets to be banned in Kovai

COIMBATORE: Restrictions on the sale of water sachets may be implemented ahead of `World Classical Tamil Conference’ as contaminated drinking water can cause serious health hazards to people, especially when thousands throng the city for the Tamil meet.

Officials concerned here are mulling over such a restriction, besides the implementation of strict vigil over packaged as well as non-packaged drinking water, to provide quality water. A meeting will be held in a couple of days along with the health officials on the steps to be taken over the sale of water sachets and packaged drinking water.

Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra, when contacted, said sachets also lead to pile up of a lot of garbage, which was also a reason for them, besides water contamination, to discuss the issue.

“Normally, well-established companies do not sell water in sachets. However, we are seriously looking into the issue and will come out with a plan in a couple of days,” said the commissioner, adding they might strongly suggest those involved in the trade not to sell sachets.

What type of restrictions or suggestions that would be brought in, regarding the sale of water sachets, could be known only after the meeting, he said.

The Corporation might also introduce small, half-litre water bottles for, instead of sachets. “A detailed action plan is being worked out by health officials for the safety of people in all aspects, which will be implemented shortly,” he said.

It was also found that rag pickers were employed to collect water bottles of popular brands from roadside that were later used for recycling or re-filling of contaminated water.

Many times, it becomes difficult for officials to trace and stop them from the business.

“We are going to work in coordination with the police to find out those who are in the business of filling water in the uncrushed plastic bottles of renowned companies and cheat people,” stressed Anshul Mishra.

On the other hand, he also offered to advise the public to crush the drinking water bottles of such companies after use, so that those in this murky business do not take advantage of it to sell it as purified water.

“Only when people fail to crush, some men try to indulge in its misuse,” he said adding they would initiate severe action against those who indulge in such practices.

 
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